More than 30 countries, including France, Britain and Canada, have condemned Iran’s use of capital punishment, saying in a joint statement that the Islamic republic is executing protesters to “silence dissent.” The countries, along with the European Union’s top diplomat, said they “condemn in the strongest terms the current executions of protesters and the use of the death penalty” by Iran. justified,” the statement said. “The people of Iran must be free to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear.” Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Germany and many other European nations were among those calling on Iran “to immediately end the use of the death penalty and release all those arbitrarily detained.” “Its support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza (and aggression against Iran) has destroyed any moral authority it imagined it had,” Abbas Araghchi posted on X. The statement The joint statement speaks to growing alarm from the United Nations and human rights groups over a rise in executions in recent months, after Iran was rocked by nationwide anti-government protests earlier in the year and the start of war in the Middle East in February.
